Impact of Juvenile Justice Reforms on the Recycling of Juvenile Offenders

• NCJ Number: 203580
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 26 pages
• Corporate Author: Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded on December 30, 2003.

Annotation

This study attempted to evaluate the impact of the 1995 juvenile justice system reforms initiated in Texas on the recycling of juvenile offenders back through either the juvenile justice system or the adult system.

Abstract

In 1995, the State of Texas approved and initiated the most significant juvenile justice system reforms in decades. The reforms effective in 1996 were intended to toughen penalties for juvenile offenders and increase funding for prevention, probation, and correction policies. The goal was to increase accountability from juvenile offenders during their initial contact with the juvenile justice system, as well as offer more services and supervision to enforce accountability. By enforcing accountability, thereby sending a clear message that delinquent behavior would no longer be tolerated, it was hoped that subsequent contact by juvenile offenders with the juvenile system would be significantly reduced. This report is the first to evaluate the impact of the 1995 reforms on the recycling of juvenile offenders back through the justice system. The study evaluated pre-1995 reform and post-1995 reform which was in effect by 1997. The study examined juvenile dispositions in 20 Texas counties which represented almost 50 percent of statewide dispositions. The juvenile tracking group included juveniles with a probation or informal disposition. They were tracked for a 2 year period. The characteristics of juvenile offenders changed between 1994 and 1997 with an increase in juveniles with less severe offenses and an increase in juveniles placed under supervision for mainly less severe offenses. The post-reform recycling rates decreased overall with a decrease in overall subsequent contact particularly for juveniles under informal supervision, a decrease in subsequent contact for new offenses, a decrease in subsequent contact for violent offenses particularly for juveniles under formal supervision, and a decrease in subsequent contact in the adult system.